Tallying up the U.S. waste in Afghanistan reconstruction

Americans have paid for projects all over Afghanistan in both money and blood, which are now being left to rot. There is an archipelago of these projects in the dusty land.

It’s probably safe to say that Afghanistan is not the best place in the world to get value for one’s taxpayer dollar.

(From CNBC.com)

The Iraq-based contractors were paid nearly $3 million to build three teaching facilities, but workers “abandoned” the Sheberghan project two years ago. They left a building deemed unsafe, with an electrical system that “exposes occupants to potential electrocution and fire hazards.”

What’s more, SIGAR alleges the contractors used U.S. money to buy unauthorized window glass from Iran. Even though U.S. officials have said no one should use the facility, “Afghans are using it,” SIGAR said. Those same Afghans want the U.S. to keep paying $50,000 a month to fuel an electric generator.